Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF T~IE INVENTION
MAGNETIC TOY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a magnetic toy, and more
particularly to a magnetic toy adapted to exhibit unique or
fanciful motion suf~icient to permit a viewer to take interest
and and surprise while producing sound.
A toy which utilizes magnetism has been conventionally
proposed and put into practice. However, the conventional
magnetic toy is substantially stationarily constructed, resulting
in failing to exhibit unique motion sufficient to permit a viewer
to take interest and surprise. Thus, the conventional magnetic
toy soon loses its popularity with time. Also, the conventional
magnetic toy is not constructed so as to produce sound~
_UMMARY OF T~IE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the
foregoing disadvantage of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a magnetic toy which is capable of permitting a viewer to
take interest and surprise.
~ t is another object of the present invention to provide
a magnetic toy which is capable of exhibiting fanciful and
comical motion while producing sound.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide a magnetic toy which is capable of accomplishing the
above-described objects with a simple structure.
In accordance with the present invention, a magnetic toy
is provided. The magnetic toy includes a hollow container made
of a non-magnetic material, a first magnet rotatably arranged in
an upper portion of the container, a sensor switch actuated by a
predetermined external stimulus and a driving section connected
to the sensor switch. The first magnet is operatively connected
to the driving sec-tion. The magnetic toy also includes an
article formed in imitation oE any desired real thing and movably
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arranged on the container. The article is provided thereon with
a second magnet, which is arranged so as to magnetically interact
with the first magnet. The magnetic toy Eurther includes a sound
generating unit arranged in association with the sensor switch.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
sensor switch comprises a vibration sensor.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
article is put on a recessed stage provided on the container.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a
transparent envelope is arranged for housing the container and
article therein. The envelope may be formed in imitation of a
casing for housing said real thing of which said article is
designed after the model.
In the magnetic toy of the present invention constructed
as described above, actuation of the driving section leads to
rotation of the first magnet, of which a magnetic action is on
the second magnet provided on the article arranged on the hollow
container, so that the article may exhibit comical motion full of
variety while producing sound from the sound generating unit.
The driving section and sound generating unit are connec-ted to
the sensor switch. Thus, when the sensor switch comprises a
vibration sensor, the magnetic toy carries out both movement and
sound generation due to vibration of a predetermined level or
more. Alternatively, when a sound sensor or a CdS sensor is
substituted for the vibration sensor, the magnetic toy may be
operated by sound or light, resulting in highly varied in
operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF l'HE DRAWINGS
These and other objects and many of the attendant
advantages of the present invention will be readily appr~ciated
as the same becomes better understood by reference to the
~ollowing detailed description when considered in connection with
the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals
designate like or corresponding parts throughout; wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view generally showing an
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embodiment of a magne-tic toy according to -the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a schema-tlc vertical sectional view showing an
internal s-tructure of the magnetic toy shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing operation of -the
magnetic toy shown in Fig. 1; and
Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing ano-ther
embodiment of a magnetic toy according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Now, a magnetic to~ according to the present invention
will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
~ eferring now to Figs. 1 to 3, an embodiment of a
magnetic toy according to the present invention is illustrated.
A magnetic toy of the illustrated embodiment is generall~
indicated at reference numeral 1 and generally includes a hollow
container 2 and a movable article 17.
The hollow container 2 is formed of a synthetic resin
material into a flat barrel-like shape, in which a driving
section 3, a first magnet 4, a sound generating unit 5, a
vibration sensor or sensor switch 6, a battery 7 for a power
supply and a main switch 8 are arranged, The container 1 i5
formed on an upper portion thereof with a recessed stage 9 on
which the article 17 is movably supported or placed.
The driving section 3 includes a motor 10 acting as a
driving source and a reduction gear mechanism 11 which is driven
by the motor 10. The driving section 3 also includes a bel-t 13
through which the motor 10 and a gear 12 constituting a part of
the reduction gear mechanism 11 are operatively connected to each
other~ The reduction gear mechanism 11 also includes another
gear 14 which is arranged in an upper central portion of the
container 2 and supported on a shaft 15. The above-described
first magnet 4 is mounted on the shaft 15 so as to be rotated
together with the gear 14. The motor 10 is adapted to repeat
normal rotation and reverse rota-tion at predetermined time
intervals.
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The movable article 17 which is placed on the recessed
s-tage 9 of the hollow container 2, in the illustrated embodiment,
is formed into a shape like shelled peanuts. The article 17 is
mounted on a bottom thereof with a second magnet 16, which is so
arranged that an N pole thereot is upward located and an S pole
thereof is downward located. The article 17 may be formed into
any olher suitable shape like an animal, an insect or the li]ce.
I~he sound genera-ting uni-t 5 may comprise a sound
synthesizing IC and adapted to produce synthesized sound.
However, the sound generating unit S is not limited to such a
sound synthesizing IC and sound produced by the unit 5 may be
voice.
The power supply battery 7 is arranged so as to be
replaceable through a bottom of the hollow container 2 and the ;
main switch 8 is arranged so as -to be operable from an outside of
the hollow container 2.
The sound generating unit 5, vibration sensor 6, power
supply battery 7, rnain switch 8 and motor 10 are electrically
connected to each other. More particularly, as shown in Fig. 3,
a drive control circuit 18 is electrically connected through the
main switch 8 to the power supply battery 7. The drive control
circuit 18 includes a sensor signal processing circuit 20 and a
rotation control circuit 19 for controlling switching bet~een
normal rotation of the motor 10 and its reverse rotation and
functions to feed each of the sound generating unit 5 and motor
10 with a control signal depending on an actuation signal
produced by the vibration sensor 6.
The sound generatiny unit 5 includes a sound
synthesizing unit 51 and a speaker 52 and adapted to produce
predetermined sound for a predetermined period oE time in
synchronism with actuation of the motor 10. The vibration sensor
6 is constructed so as to detect vibration generated due to
movement oE the article 17 as well as external vibration applied
to the magnetic toy 1, to thereby generate an actuation signal
full of variety. This causes the drive control circuit 1~ to
output a varied signal, resulting in movemen-t of the article 17
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being rendered highly comical. In the illustrated embodiment,
the vibration sensor is used as a sensor for detecting an
external stimulus. ~l-terna-tively, a pyroelectric sensor Eor
de-tecting infrared rays emitted from a human body, a sound
sensor, a pho-tosensor or the like may be substituted for the
vibration sensor.
Now, the manner oE operation of -the magnetic toy of the
illustrated embodimen-t constructed as described above will be
described hereinaEter.
When the vibration sensor 6 detects vibration of a
predetermined level or more while keeping the main switch 8
turned on, the motor 10 is controlled to permit the first magnet .
4 to be rotated through the reduction gear mechanism 11.
Rotation of the first magnet ~ causes the first magnet 4 and the
second magnet 16 mounted on the bottom of the article 17 formed
in imitation of shelled peanuts to magnetically in-teract with
each other, so that both magnets repeat magnetic repulsion and
attraction. This permits the article 17 to comically get about
on the recessed stage 9 of the hollow container 2. Concurrently,
the sound generating unit produces synthesized sound.
Referring now to Fig. 4, another embodiment of a
magnetic toy according to the present invention is illustrated.
A magnetic toy of the illustrated embodiment is so constructed
that a hollow container 2 and an article 17 mounted on a recessed
stage 9 of the container 2 are housed in a transparent envelope
55 which is arranged so as to be detachable with respect to
container 2. The envelope 55 may be formed in imitation of a
casing for housing a real -thing of which the article 17 is
designed after the model. The envelope 55 is removably mounted
on an upper portion thereof with a lid 56. The xemaining part of
the embodiment may be constructed in substantially the same
manner as as the embodiment described above with reference to
Figs. 1 to 3. Thus, it will be noted that the magnetic toy of
Fig. 4 carries out the same operation as that shown in Figs. 1 to
3.
In the embodiment oE Fig. 4, the envelope 55 as well as
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the article 17 is formed in imitation of a real thing, so that a
viewer may be impressed as if a real thing jumped about for joy.
Also, housing of the article 17 in the envelope 55 efEectively
prevents the article from being lost during transportation or the
like.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been
described with a certain degree of particulari-ty with reference
to the drawings, obvious modifications and varia-tions are
possible in light of the above-teachings. I-t is there~ore t~ be
understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the
invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically
described.
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